NOH MASK MAKER KEIKO UDAKA

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2024.09.03

The Process of Making Traditional Noh Masks

THE SAMURAI TOUCH | SAMURAI VS NINJA

For me, creating Noh masks is about facing and exploring
myself. As I take the time to carefully carve masks,
I encounter new aspects of myself that I did not know
existed and deep thoughts that I do not feel in my daily life.
It enriches and brightens my life.
Inside each small Noh masks, there is a grand story.
I use my imagination and think about the lives
of those charactors. Sometimes I find those lives overlapping
with my own, sometimes I receive wisdom,
and sometimes I make unexpected discoveries.
Confronted with the immaturity of my techniques,
there are times when I feel like giving up.
So I try to concentrate on carefully perfecting
my techniques and the sense of accomplishment that
comes with it. That is an experience that I can only get
through Noh masks. Someday, I hope to create a Noh mask
that moves people's mind even without explanation.
That's why I continue carving masks today.

Noh mask maker Keiko Udaka

Born in Kyoto in 1980, in her childhood Udaka Keiko appeared on stage as a child actor with her father, Udaka Michishige, Kongō school nō performer
and mask carver.
After graduating from the Department of Fine Arts of the Kyoto City University of the Arts, she concentrated her efforts on studying mask carving with her father.
Currently Keiko is teaching mask carving and leading workshops in addition to carving masks in order to disseminate and popularize nō and nō masks.

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Noh Mask Crafting Class

We hold Noh mask classes in Kyoto and Tokyo to teach the basics of real Noh mask making.
From carving to coloring, I work on finishing each piece over six months to a year.
You can take it at any time. Please contact us via the contact form.